The Hunter's Sorrow
by amaterxsu
Summary: Two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Uchiha Sasuke has returned to Konoha as a new threat awaits the village and his life hangs in the balance. But what will happen when a certain kunoichi finds out that Sasuke may not live to tell the tale?
1. Return

The young shinobi trailed through the solemn little village, undisturbed by the hustle of villagers going about their daily lives. He usually avoided villages like these on his journeys, preferring to stick to the shadows and the solace of his own company. However, it had been unavoidable once he breached The Land of Fire's territory; he had to pass through it in order to reach his destination. There was time, though – ways to go until he crossed the massive forest that stood in between him and his former home. Plenty of time to hesitate and turn back, yet the shinobi was never really one for regrets.

 _I must keep going…_

The village he had stumbled upon entering the Land of Fire was relatively small and poor; there were no shinobi, just shops and houses occupied by commoners who had probably never witnessed the perils of violent death and war. Despite this, the shinobi still feared being recognized, so he kept his head low under the hood of his cloak and his pace brisk. Yet the pain was too much as it surged through his veins and stopped his breath short. He paused in the village square, clutching onto a nearby tree for support as his vision blurred. It was all he could do to keep from collapsing and drawing attention to him. It seemed that he had struck curiosity within one pair of eyes, though, as he felt the presence of someone coming up to him.

"Are you all right?" An elderly man had sauntered up to the shinobi, clutching his cane with one hand as he tried to pat the shinobi's shoulder with his other. Almost immediately, the shinobi drew back at his touch and kept his face concealed. An elderly stranger, showing concern for a man he had never even met – how foolish. "I'm fine." The shinobi replied levelly, his voice strong and cold like steel.

"My mistake, then," answered the old man, still not convinced. He looked up and down at the cloaked man, smiling warmly. "We don't get many travellers through our village. Are you lost?"

 _Too friendly for his own good_ , thought the shinobi.

"Just passing through."

He struggled to maintain his composure through the searing pain, wishing the old man would just leave him be.

"Are you sure? If you need a place to rest, I can offer –"

"I said I'm fine," retorted the shinobi, turning to face the old man as fury blazed in his eyes. The old man gasped and reeled away in shock at the shinobi's eyes. He had heard tales around the village about famous shinobi, yet had never expected them to be true. He'd never even seen a shinobi in the flesh, much less the one only rumoured to exist. The blazing red in one eye, violet in the other- there was no mistake. "U-Uchiha..S-Sasuke..." sputtered the old man. Before he could fully register his astonishment, there was a rustling of leaves and the Uchicha was gone in a flash, leaving a very bewildered old man alone and staring at a tree.

* * *

 **Konohagakure, three days later.**

Hagane Kotetsu leaned back in his chair as he flipped nonchalantly through his magazine. Occasionally, his eyes strayed lazily towards the gate entrance, yet he focused solely on his magazine. It had been peaceful for two years since the Fourth Shinobi World War, so Kotetsu didn't take his job as guard of Konoha's gate seriously at all. Beside him, his partner Kamizuki Izumo watched the gate intently yet appeared to be slightly bored as well.

"No one's coming, you know," Kotetsu chimed casually at his partner, his eyes fixated on his magazine. Izumo shot his lazy friend a scolding look. All of a sudden, there was a slight flicker of chakra at the entrance before it disappeared, and they both immediately jumped to attention. "What was that?!" Izumo growled, and the two armed shinobi looked around frantically near the gate. There had been no disturbance in the detection barrier to warn them that an intruder had slipped through, nor did they see anyone in their midst.

"Doesn't the barrier only detect those who aren't from Konoha?" piped up Kotetsu as he settled back into his chair.

"Ah…" responded Izumo, glaring at the gate. _If someone from Konoha had just snuck in…who could it be?_

He had made it in undetected, courtesy of his Amenotejikara jutsu. Sasuke had no desire for a homecoming. There was only one place he had to get to – before it was too late.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, home from a mission, was ready to meet Sakura after her shift at the Konoha hospital was through. He had stopped by for a short rest to regain his chakra, which was running low after a run-in with some local mercenaries outside of Konoha – although he was mostly sympathetic for the state he left them in, completely unmatched to Naruto's frightening strength. As he got up to leave, he caught glimpse of the Team 7 portrait on his bedside table. Naruto smiled fondly to himself.

 _Sasuke…I hope you've found the redemption you were looking for._

The blonde shinobi suddenly snapped from his thoughts when he felt the presence of someone's chakra behind him. He whirled around immediately, slamming a hooded figure into the ground. With rapid skill, the figure kicked Naruto off, sending him flying into the wall. As Naruto peeled himself off the wall, most of it crumbled with him.

 _Easy, Kurama…_ , he thought, feeling the exhilaration of his bijuu companion stirring inside his subconscious. There was no need to resort to that until he found out the extent of the threat the intruder posed to him. Blue chakra swirling in his hand, he prepared to charge at the figure. The figure, however, removed his hood, and Naruto stopped abruptly, ceasing his chakra. He blinked speechlessly for a few seconds, before hollering "Sasuke! You're back!" Before he could even let a breath in, Sasuke materialized right in front of Naruto's face and clamped his hand over his mouth.

"Shut up," hissed Sasuke, yet he released his hand and smirked quietly at his friend. "Hey."

Naruto's head swirled with disbelief and excitement. He had so many questions to ask Sasuke, questions that he probably wouldn't get the answers to. He was also dazed at how he had just been thinking about Sasuke, and all of a sudden the shinobi had appeared. _I wonder what would happen if I thought about ramen…_

What was most shocking, however, was Sasuke's appearance. The young shinobi's jet-black hair hung roughly down his face, a bandana tied around his forehead. A large cloak hid his entire body, possibly to cover his missing arm. To Naruto, Sasuke looked more like a savage than a shinobi. Yet a presence of adventure radiated off Sasuke, as if he had seen wonders on his journey that no one could ever imagine, not even Naruto.

"Sasuke, you look terrible! Where have you been? Are you back for good?" the blonde jinchuuriki rambled on eagerly.

"No." Sasuke paused, as if carefully considering his next words. "I need your help, Naruto. I only came back because it was urgent. But it must be kept classified. Do you understand, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked incredulously. If his smug Uchiha friend had swallowed his pride in order to ask him for help, it must be serious. "All right! Is Team 7 going to be reunited again?" He grinned and clapped his hands together.

Sasuke opened his mouth to answer, yet immediately the pain seized him again. He staggered back, feeling the hot rush of blood travel up to his throat. Sasuke collapsed on the ground coughing as blood trickled out of his mouth.

"Sasuke?" Naruto rushed to his friend's side, a spell of sombreness casted upon his whiskered face.

"Sasuke…what's going on?" He frowned gravelly and extended his arm to help Sasuke up, but Sasuke grabbed it and forcefully pulled Naruto closer to his level. "Don't tell anyone," Sasuke managed out in between coughs, his voice tight and strained.

Naruto wasn't that dense to realize that the hidden meaning behind that was _don't tell Sakura_. And it was implicitly directed towards his condition.

"Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on?! What happened to you out there?!" Panic rose in Naruto's usually cheerful voice. Within a matter of moments, his missing friend had come back from oblivion, dropped a bombshell about a secret mission, and then collapsed on the floor with some sort of illness.

"Naruto…the Akatsuki…a new generation of the Akatsuki has come. We must stop them before…before I die."

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! I apologize if the beginning is a little slow, but I'll expand on everything in the chapter to come. Also - SasuSaku moments ahead! Reviews are welcome, as comments and constructive criticism will help me fix the quality of my writing as I continue.**


	2. Proposition

The Uchiha collected himself off the ground, seemingly unfazed as his former teammate gaped at him incredulously.

"The Akatsuki? And w-what the hell d'you mean 'before you die'?!" Naruto stammered in terror. "Sasuke, I have to tell Sakura-chan then! She's a medic-nin, she could help –"

"No." Sasuke cut him off briskly without hesitation. "It's none of your business. There's nothing you can do."

"Damn it, Sasuke! You expect me to just let you _die_?!" Naruto clenched his fists in frustration, anger and fear mixing into one. Sasuke was still as distant and cryptic as ever.

Sasuke seemed to falter for a split second. "My fate has been sealed…" He met Naruto's troubled look with his cold eyes. "Naruto, focus. The Akatsuki. We have a problem."

"Crap…all right…what about the Akatsuki? Aren't they all dead?" Naruto was merely feigning ignorance towards Sasuke's revelation. There was no way he was going to brush off his best friend's death as if it was nothing, yet pleading with the stubborn Uchiha was hopeless. He would find a way to save him no matter what, even if he had to withhold his true purpose from Sasuke. _But how the hell am I gonna do that?_ Naruto groaned inwardly. He wasn't exactly good at being sly. Within his thoughts, Naruto could practically feel Kurama stirring with disapproval _. You're going to risk your own life for someone else's again, aren't you? Foolish boy._ The Kyuubi sneered at his jinchuuriki.

"Hn. Listen." Thus, Sasuke explained his discovery.

"A couple of months ago, someone had been ravaging villages, killing the villagers violently and mercilessly. However, their murders left a trail, which I followed and ended up at Amegakure. Yet I couldn't get close. The village is now heavily guarded, with thousands of shinobi watching the outskirts for intruders. Shinobi from other villages are forbidden to enter. Forcing my way in with violence would cause too many civilian casualties and incite panic. But it was too suspicious for me to ignore."

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "Huh? Why does Ame need so many shinobi guarding the village?"

"This is why I managed to force one of the shinobi guards to tell me what was going on. A group, using the Akatsuki's name, has seized power and created a dictatorship within Amegakure."

"So they're just a couple of copycats trying to be tough? This'll be easy!"

"Do not underestimate them, Naruto. The guard also informed me that this new Akatsuki has every shinobi in the village pledging their allegiance to them. I wasn't able to find out the rest of their motives, however, as I was attracting too much attention. Yet it seems that they are sending their shinobi off to villages, instructing them to cause destruction, and there are rumours that spies have already reached Konoha in hopes of planning an attack. We must infiltrate Amegakure and find out their true resolve."

"So we have to tell Kakashi-sensei then! He's the Hokage now; he'll know what to do!"

"He will only send us on a reconnaissance mission. It's been years of peace, Naruto, and as the Hokage Kakashi will do anything to prevent another war. If Konoha is in danger of being attacked, we must take action discreetly. Exposing it to Kakashi means that the other Kage will get involved and Konoha will lose the element of surprise."

The Uchiha was not a crusader of vengeance anymore. He stood unwavering in his desire to protect Konoha and the nature of shinobi. The resemblance he had to Itachi was striking; he had the solidity of his older brother, opting to protect his village within obscurity. But would Sasuke's obsessive personality allow him to protect Konoha without falling into darkness again? Naruto recognized the severity of the situation; he wouldn't let Konoha, and Sasuke, fall into harm's way. Yet Naruto was still reluctant to hide the true nature of Sasuke's plan from Kakashi and leave the village without a trace. Not to mention the pressing issue of Sasuke's health! It wouldn't be long before his loud mouth forsook everything Sasuke had strategized.

 _Wait…Sakura-chan…am I forgetting something?_

"Damn it! I forgot to meet Sakura-chan at the hospital!" Naruto groaned at his absent-mindedness. "Oh man, she's gonna kill me!" Naruto rushed towards the door, yet turned back to acknowledge Sasuke before he left. "I'm gonna include her into your plan, Sasuke. She's not weak anymore; she can help more than you think. There's no way I would ever be able to leave Konoha without telling her, too."

"Fine." The Uchiha's expression wavered as if he had something else on his mind, but he remained silent as usual. He didn't have to tell Naruto twice that Sakura was never to know about his impending demise. Sasuke watched his friend's back retreating from him as Naruto bounced out the door.

* * *

Haruno Sakura stood at the entrance of the Konoha hospital, trying to tame loose strands of her pink bob that the wind seemed hell-bent on messing up. A gaggle of nurses were already leaving for the day, waving farewell at the medic-nin. "See you tomorrow, Sakura-san!"

"Hai!" She responded cheerfully. Sakura was still waiting for Naruto to meet her like they originally planned, clutching her half-eaten bento box from lunch that she had promised to him. _Baka…he's late again…_

Sighing dejectedly, Sakura started walking through the town towards her apartment. She knew there was no point in feeling hurt over Naruto's forgetfulness- it was just his nature. No matter what, Naruto still meant well. Making her way past the various shops of the Konoha town square, she waved greetings to familiar faces and stopped to chat with fellow shinobi. Sakura's pleasant demeanor seemed infectious, as everyone around her always stopped what they were doing to share a smile with her.

Not long before she reached her apartment did she hear the thundering footsteps and cries of "SAKURA-CHAN!" trailing behind her. Sakura turned around to see a breathless Naruto racing down the street, practically shoving villagers out of his way to catch up to her. Sakura's cheeks flared with embarrassment at the sight.

"Sakura-chan! I'm so sorry! Something came up!" Naruto skidded to a stop in front of her, wheezing as he tried to regain his breath. "But you have to come over right now!"

"You know, Naruto…" teased the kunoichi as she stuck out her tongue and poked his shoulder, "It's not nice to keep a lady waiting then try to invite her back to your place."

This time, it was Naruto's turn to be embarrassed, his face flushing scarlet. "No…no! It's nothing like that, Sakura-chan! Just…we need your help!"

 _We?_ Sakura gazed curiously at her best friend. "Eh?"

The shinobi grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Heh…promise me you won't freak out, okay, Sakura-chan?" Before she could respond, Naruto grabbed her hand and dragged away from her apartment door. "Trust me! Just come!" Startled, Sakura reluctantly followed Naruto. "Oh, I saved the rest of my lunch for you just like you asked."

"Really? Sakura-chan, you're the best!"

* * *

Sakura entered the apartment with Naruto at her heels, clucking at the site of the typical clutter that greeted her. She placed the bento box on the kitchen table, but it took only a matter of moments before she felt the familiar presence in front of her. Sakura didn't even have to look up to know who it was. And when she did, she felt every molecule in her body go numb.

"Sakura." He stood casually in front of her, as if his arrival was the most normal thing in the world. He still looked the same, yet somehow different. The same stoic expression lingering on his features, those icy black eyes that cut through her soul. Sakura's hands automatically flew to her forehead, remembering his touch.

"… _I'll see you soon."_

Yet she also felt a stinging pain in her chest, remnant from his hand driving through her heart from an attempt to kill her during the war. It had been a genjutsu to subdue her, she knew that; yet the sensation of it had certainly felt real.

"S-Sasuke-kun…you're back? Welcome back! How are you?" The medic-nin felt her cheeks grow pink as she heard how disgustingly perky her voice sounded. She rushed to hug her friend, yet he stiffened in her arms until she let go.

"For now." Only Sasuke could manage to say one word and have it sound like he'd said nothing at all. He also ignored about half of Sakura's questions in typical Uchiha fashion. Sakura looked quizzically at her former teammates. This clearly wasn't the vibe of a joyful reunion- something was up.

Naruto looked longingly at the bento box on the kitchen table, sighing in dejection before he turned to his two friends. "You better fill her in, Sasuke, if she's going to come on this mission with us." _Except the fact that you're dying…_

While Sasuke explained the situation once more, she knew she should have been paying more attention to the severity of the mission. However, her eyes stayed fixated on the solemn determination radiating off the Uchiha, the kind that used to make her want to follow him to the ends of the world. Her twelve year old self would have been reeling right now, but she wasn't twelve anymore.

Once she tuned in, however, her emerald eyes widened more and more at the Uchiha's proposition. "Wait…a new Akatsuki? No way…But how am I supposed to just leave the village without telling anybody? Tsunade-sama would know right away! And my job at the hospital! You do realize someone must've noticed your arrival, right? It'll look suspicious enough if Naruto and I just leave without a trace!"

"Make an excuse." Sasuke shrugged, as if it wasn't his problem. "If you can't handle it, don't come."

Sakura felt as if she had been slapped in the face. After everything he had seen from her, he was still questioning her abilities. Thankfully, Naruto relieved the awkward tension as he placed a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura-chan…he's right you know. We have to do this! And," he proclaimed, grinning at the kunoichi, "I believe in you!"

Sakura smiled gratefully at Naruto, yet didn't quite share the same enthusiasm. The plan was definitely rash and dangerous. It would be stupid to think that she and Naruto could just stroll out of the village without anyone batting an eye. _Tsunade-sama…_ She groaned inwardly. Surely her master would have her head if she knew what they were up to. Above all, Sakura was frightened at the notion of infiltrating a foreign village without any backup whatsoever. Even if she died in battle, Tsuande would probably resurrect her just to punch her lights out for ever attempting such a daring mission. Yet she couldn't just reveal her reluctance to her former teammates. Naruto, on one hand, felt practically no fear – he was always willing to put his life on the line. And Sasuke…Sasuke was the same, yet if she even dared reveal any of her qualms to him…

"And you're sure it's serious?" Immediately Sakura regretted this silly question. There's no way Sasuke would have returned to the village if it wasn't. Luckily (or unluckily- she still couldn't decide) for her, Sasuke ignored her as if she was a mere fleck of dust. "So it's settled. We leave tomorrow."

Naruto whooped in excitement, pumping a fist in the air. "All right, Team 7 back again!" He looked at Sakura appreciatively, as if she had just done him the biggest favour by accompanying them.

Of course, Sakura didn't know the real reason why Naruto wanted her to join them so desperately.

Okay, so she couldn't help feeling slightly thrilled to be reunited with her friends as Team 7. It was hard to stay doubtful when Naruto's goofy grin reassured her that everything was going to be alright. As for Sasuke…Sakura still felt a small inkling of longing for him. It was hard not to; he had left with such promise that he'll see her again, etched into her forehead from his touch. Yet Sakura felt that any affection he had shown to her before he left was clearly a sign of her delusional mind. Sasuke's return just proved that he still considered her to be the anchor that weighed him down.

"Sasuke-kun…" The kunoichi turned to the Uchiha, hoping to ask him questions about his journey. What was life like outside civilization? What had he seen? What did he learn about himself on his journey? If she couldn't be the object of his desires, she could at least be his friend. Yet before she could even complete her sentence, the Uchiha was gone.

* * *

In the trees adjacent to Naruto's apartment, a shadowy figure crouched in the leaves, surveying the scene sinisterly. Good, they hadn't noticed him- his chakra suppression had worked. A small smile played on his lips. So, this was the famous trio that had singlehandedly saved the shinobi world. The meddling Uchiha, the obnoxious Kyuubi with the everlasting chakra reserves, the girl with the surprisingly deadly strength; he knew all about them. He silently thanked the old man in the previous village for pointing him to Sasuke's direction- after a round of torture, that is. _Shame that I had to kill him_ , sneered the figure, not apologetic at all. He had to take precautions in covering his tracks now that the Uchiha was hot on Ame's trail. But they wouldn't get far- now that he knew what they were up to, he couldn't wait to relay his discovery back to Ame.

 _Vengeance will be upon you all._

* * *

 **A/N: So this chapter ended up being longer and slower than the last. I dragged out too much dialogue and inner feelings, I know, but it's just pretext for the action that's coming up! Sasuke ended up being kind of an asshole (more than usual) to Sakura in this chapter but it's all relevant as the story expands. Reviews are much appreciated!**


	3. Departure

**Konohagakure, the following dawn.**

" _Sakura…help…me…I can't hold on…"_

The kunoichi jumped out of bed in a flash, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. _What a nightmare…_ She gasped in shock to herself. After restlessly struggling to fall asleep, Sakura finally dozed off into a deep slumber until she was shaken awake by her unsettling dream. In it, Sasuke was clinging desperately onto a cliff as his body hung above the abyss of the cavern. He screamed for help and Sakura rushed to his assistance, yet she couldn't pull him up no matter how much strength she mustered. His screaming slowly became muted as his grip slipped, finger by finger, and he fell to his death into the darkness of the cliff. And that was when Sakura woke up.

 _What could it mean?_ Sakura pondered to herself as she sat in her bed. The dream eerily reminded her of the one she had years ago, in the Forest of Death during the Chuunin exam, where she had watched helplessly as her cries became silent and Naruto and Sasuke were attacked by Orochimaru. The similarities between the past dream and her current one felt more like a bad omen than mere coincidence.

 _Could it mean…that I'm still not strong enough to protect anyone? Or maybe…something terrible is awaiting Sasuke-kun…_ Sakura gripped her bedsheets in frustration. There was no use in doubting her own strength – she hadn't come this far and reached the rank of Jonin only to cloud her beliefs of her abilities. No, there was something else about her dream that drenched her in distraught. Sasuke's secret mission itself seemed menacing, yet she couldn't quite decipher why.

"Yo! Sakura-chan, you awake?"

Sakura practically jumped out of her own skin at the sight of a grinning Naruto perched on her windowsill at the crack of dawn. He effortlessly dodged the lamp she hurled at him, blaring, "Wait! Wait! Sakura-chan, I came up with a plan on how we can fool Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura's arm lowered and she released her grip on the alarm clock she was just about to throw at Naruto. "Baka…The sun hasn't even risen yet! What is it that couldn't wait until the morning?"

The blonde ninja chuckled in determination as he rubbed the back of his head. "Heh…Just trust me!"

* * *

A few hours later, the two shinobi, dressed in dark cloaks and backpacks filled with provisions, gathered at the edge of the village near the entrance behind a cluster of trees and shrubs. They read the scroll of instructions from Sasuke that his summon, the hawk Garuda, had brought to them. Now all that was left to do was climb on the hawk's back and soar out of the village, where Sasuke was awaiting their arrival past the vicinity of Konoha.

Sakura was dumbfounded that Naruto's plan had actually worked – although who knew for how long. An hour earlier, she had stumbled into Kakashi's office, flushed and gagging complaining of an illness and that she couldn't show up to her shift at the hospital. Once she started puking on the floor of the Hokage office, Kakashi hurriedly shooed her out, telling her he would relay the message to the hospital staff and Tsunade for her. After dragging herself home, Sakura immediately snatched the vial of antidote and chugged it. Sure, Naruto had told her to "act sick", but she knew it had to be realistic enough so that Kakashi wouldn't be suspicious and pry her with questions. Thus, using her knowledge as a medic-nin, Sakura had whipped up a reactive potion that made her face heat up and puke violently, along with an antidote. Naruto's role in their scheme, however, was riskier – he revealed to her at dawn that he planned on replacing himself with a shadow clone, since he had no missions scheduled for the day.

" _Kage Bunshin…But Naruto, what if someone sees right through it? The farther we go away from the village, the harder it'll be for you to keep up the chakra of the clone from such a great distance. And if something happens and you strain your chakra, the clone will disappear!"_

" _Ah…maybe…but a temporary distraction is all we need!"_

Sakura and Naruto mounted the giant hawk, clutching its neck tightly as it scraped its talons on the ground before ascending rapidly into the air and gliding past Konoha once it was at a high enough altitude. Sakura surveyed from behind her shoulder as they propelled further ahead and the village grew smaller until the distinguished Hokage Rock became nothing more than a measly pebble. Eventually, Garuda landed softly in a small clearing in the middle of the forest that preceded Konoha. There, Sasuke stood leaning against a tree awaiting their arrival. Sakura and Naruto climbed off the hawk as Sasuke dismissed his summon. He nodded curtly at his comrades. "Naruto. Sakura. "

Sakura smiled back tentatively, and Naruto grinned and gave Sasuke a thumbs-up. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **Back in Konohagakure, the Hokage administrative office, midday**.

Hatake Kakashi leaned back in his chair, sighing at the relentless stack of documents on his desk. He'd been going through them for so long that the contents seemed to blur before his eyes. Kakashi dipped his Hokage hat comfortably over his eyes, wondering if it was unfitting of his position to take a quick powernap. As soon as his eyelids started to falter, however, the sound of thundering footsteps out in the hallway caught his attention.

"KAKASHI!" The footsteps, accompanied by the shrill screech, stopped right outside his office and the door swung open with such harshness that it ripped off its hinges, revealing an enraged Tsunade dragging a bewildered-looking Naruto by the collar. Tsunade stomped into the office, her fury directed at the perplexed Hokage.

"What is the meaning of this?! Where are Sakura and Naruto?! And you call yourself the Rokudaime Hokage yet you fell for such an obvious ruse?!" The Sannin slammed her hands down on Kakashi's desk, the sheer force of the impact splintering the desk into two.

"Tsunade-sama…to what do I owe this pleasure?" Kakashi sighed, glancing disdainfully at the mess from Tsunade's warpath. "Sakura's called in sick, and Naruto…well…he's right there." _I've never actually called myself the Rokudaime..._

"Please!" retorted the Sannin. "I know Sakura, and as a medic-nin and my personal pupil there is no illness that she couldn't cure herself! Shizune already went to her apartment with medicine and she wasn't there! As for this…" Tsunade grabbed "Naruto" by the collar once more, retracting her arm as chakra glowed in her fist.

"Ts-Tsunade-sama, wait! You won't possibly…" Kakashi trailed off as Tsunade punched "Naruto" square in the face. He flew back and slammed into the wall, evaporating as soon as he made contact.

"Kage bunshin?" Realization dawned over the younger Hokage.

"Kakashi…you fool…" Tsunade clenched her fist and scowled back at him. "Didn't you wonder why Sakura didn't come see me personally?! And why there was an undetected presence that snuck past the gate to Konoha?! You better get to the bottom of this or I will go retrieve them myself and kill them without fail! I will not tolerate traitors!" She turned around abruptly, storming out the broken doorframe.

Kakashi furrowed his brow. So, they really had left the village, yet it didn't seem like an act of betrayal. He knew his former students best but it _was_ highly suspicious that they had snuck out just as soon as the gate officials had reported the chakra of an intruder. _I guess it can't be helped...Time to call in ANBU._

 _Now who's going to clean up my office?_

* * *

 **A/N: I've been having major writer's block so things are still moving slowly but just stick with me until the next chapter and I promise I'll deliver on some action!**


End file.
